NEW SEASON KITBAG ESSENTIALS

The new season is properly here, with the first round of games kicking things off in the top flight quite nicely this season.

But for many amatuer footballers, the new season might still be a few long weekends away. Now, every player likes to feel prepared for their first game (whether they’ve put in the hours in pre-season or not…), so here’s a look at what top equipment we’d have in our kit-bag in an ideal world.

FG Boots – adidas Nitrocharge 1.0

One of our favourite releases in a summer that’s been chock full of great new boots, the adidas Nitrocharge 1.0 is a sure-fire crowd pleaser. Comfortable and packed full of features, there’s not a position on the pitch that won’t enjoy the Nitrocharge.

SG Boots – Umbro Speciali 4

When the weather turns bad, you need a boot you can rely on to perform. Six-studs in the soleplate and one of the most sumptuous K-Leather uppers around, the prospect of lacing up the Speciali 4 will have you looking forward to those rainy January mornings.

Turf Trainers – Nike Bomba Finale II

If you take training seriously, you need a shoe that does the same – and few turf shoes mean business in the same way the Bomba range does! Imbued with NikeSkin and ACC for year-round performance, the Bomba Finale II will give you a few seasons of top performance on the training pitch.

Shirt – Puma Uruguay Home 2013

As at home rocking up to the changing rooms in and watching a game in the pub afterwards, the cotton-feel Uruguay kit from Puma is a great throw-back to shirts gone by.

Shorts – Nike Pro Combat Shorts

An increasingly-essential part of any footballer’s wardrobe, a pair of ‘sliders’ can mean the difference between a good night’s sleep after a game or constantly waking up to the stinging pain of a gnarly astroturf burn.

Socks – Trusocks

We see so called ‘essential’ football accessories come and go, season after season (we’re looking at you, ArmourBite and Power Balance), but TruSox are probably the only one that has grown year on year since we featured them. Tried-and-trusted by professionals, take your traction to the next level with a pair.

Pads – S1 Shin Protection System

Easily one of the most-used products ever to fall through the letter-box at Footy-Boots.com HQ, the S1 Shin Protection System is, in many ways, the perfect shinpad, using a unique harness design to stay in place for the full 90 mins.

Shins – Ultimate Shin Sleeves

Whether you wear them over or under your shinnies, these breathable, fuss-free sleeves ensure a consistent fit over a game and reduce the need for taping up your calves and ankles.

Compression – Equmen Core Precision Sleeveless top

Kick post-game aches and pains into touch with a compression top from Equmen. If you’ve given everything on the pitch, it’s natural to slump and laze about for the rest of the afternoon. Take the strain off your back and shoulders with one of these nifty vests and feel better in time for next week.

Training – Sports Lions Hotshot

This nifty little bit of rubber is perfect for players looking to refine their striking technique or learn a new one. We’ve been slipping ours over the forefoot of our boots to provide a big visual queue of where best to strike the ball when practising a knuckleball free-kick.

Hey Footy-Boots, got a few questions: Are the S1 shin pad system not enough on their own? Also if I buy the Shinpad sleeves, there will be no need for tape or does it just reduce how much I need? Do Trusox need me to cut off the bottom bit of my football socks? If so how does one keep them from fraying? Also the question Perrygroves asked as well! Thanks

Won Hu

Whats a Sports Lions Hotshot? It sounds nice, since i practice knuckles.